BS People: Tapan Singhel

For a man who believes that life and business are simple and we should not complicate them, Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, it was perhaps surprising when he embarked upon his entrepreneurial career by joining a start-up venture, leaving his job with a prominent PSU insurer where he first started as a direct officer in 1991.

It is here that he honed his skills in people management and learned the fundamentals of the insurance business, after being exposed to various departments such as accounts, IT, underwriting, claims, marketing, sales, etc. He took the plunge in the private sector by joining Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.

His skills in creating and building teams were useful as a crucial member of the team that charted the company’s retail strategy. He developed the markets in UP and North before moving to South to establish and develop retail businesses. In this course of his journey, he assumed various roles—as regional manager, zonal head and finally head of all retail channels and geographies as CMO. Tapan’s skills in retail strategy were also put to test when he was involved in various international projects, especially in setting up the retail business for Allianz in China, not easy considering the communication divide

Tapan, a BHU alumnus (masters in physics with specialisation in lasers and spectroscopy), did his schooling from La Martiniere for boys, Kolkata and St Peters, Agra. A keen strategist and a great motivator, Tapan loves unwinding in nature and prefers spending quality time with his family.